It is time to move to a New and Sustainable Economic Model… Where Purpose creates Profits

Insanity is: when we try to solve a problem with the same thinking that we used to create it.

Original quote by Einstein: “We cannot solveour problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”.

Most of us will agree to the statement that our economy is more than ever fragile. We have seen in the past decade massive blow-ups in the banking and other sectors. But what really happened since then? Well, some regulations have been put in place across industry sectors. But what have organizations such as banks and other institutions done since then? Have they tried to do to re-built trust? Did they get closer to the clients and employees and built back those relationships? No, the opposite is happening. They move further and further away from an employee and client driven model. Almost as if to say: “Do not touch me client… I am afraid of you”. “It is your fault client that we maneuvered ourselves into this state”. “ Instead talk to a machine”. “Machines do not make mistakes, they follow rules and protocols”. “Yes, client as long as we do not have to engage with you on a human level, Eye to Eye, we cannot make mistakes”.

In a nutshell: All that really changed is these companies have implemented strategies avoiding making mistakes and getting fined. But, no real rethinking has taken place to address the core issues, their business models; that led to those huge blow-ups to happen in the first place. Business models entirely centered around creating profits.

How comes that we are still where we have been? Well, the organizations seem not to be able to change their thinking. They are still led by the same type of people, thinking in the same ways, the exact ones who created the problems in the first place. The baby boomer generation; a generation driven still by the post war dramas of their parents, to a large extent. Obsessed with stability, mainly financial security… ie all that counts is the profit. They define themselves and who they are through external means of positional power, the title they carry and how much assets they have to show for. Without these things they are reduced to nothing.

Oh don’t get me wrong. I am not saying don’t make money. I myself love fast cars, aircrafts and boats. But those things do not define who I am in my core. I enjoy them and they are fun. They add to my pleasure but they do not change who I am and nobody can hold me hostage with money or make me change my purpose and core values for a quick buck. And trust me many tried…and keep on trying.

However, for the majority of the baby boomer generation their main God is Money. And it is completely understandable if you see where they have been coming from. Which role models they had in their lives, modeling their work practices. For them subconsciously, financial security is literally a matter of life or death.

In a world that becomes more and more uncertain, where profits change in matter of instant on the stock market, those profit driven people become become really desperate. Hence we see more and more shady practices popping up all over the place. Requiring more and more regulations. Regulations, leading to fear in engaging on a human level. So hiding behind technology, Internet portals, social media and the like is becoming the norm. I mean lets be honest. We all love technology, and a lot of it is really cool. But at the end of the day humans are wired to be socially engaged with each other. We are craving human interaction, feeling a sense of worth etc. Something machines cannot give us.

So why do we not give the people what they really long for? Having meaning in their life, a purpose that propels them forward.

This requires however a rethinking of our current economic model. Away from profits of organizations being the end to a means… instead profits providing the means to an end. The end being the organizations purpose. Creating a loyal employee base, who in turn create a loyal customer base. This employee/customer centric model retrospectively generates long term and sustainable profits for organizations.

Basically we need to turn the economic models on its head. Whereby the employees’ and clients’ wellbeing becomes the center of all our efforts. It becomes our purpose. Where we measure our success on how fulfilled our employees and clients are. Knowing that a fulfilled and happy employee creates happy and loyal customers. In this scenario profits become a natural by-product.

Yes, you will say I am a dreamer. Especially if you are a baby boomer. It is ok. I know I am not normal, or not the norm. And I am grateful for it. I rather be not normal than insane thinking that the thinking of those people who got us into the economical crisis, will ever get us out of it again.

The article is dedicated to those who are ready to make a change and want to know how it can be done. It is for those who know that their thinking, that maneuvered them into the shit in the first place, won’t get them out of the shit. Those who are ready to take a new approach. A purpose driven approach.

Who want to learn and become a future leader in a new economy. A leader who is led by authentic and servant leadership principles. Who wants to learn how they can add real value to others, creating loyal employees and customers in return for long term profits. Who want to be a part of a world where we measure our success based on how many others we made successful.

Yours sincerely,
Martina Willis

The kickass economic transformer…Transforming the economy into the next Millennia